2026 -- H 8163

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LC005823

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION

ACT

     Introduced By: Representatives McNamara, Cotter, Solomon, Potter, and Carson

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2026

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 16-87-2 and 16-87-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-87 entitled

"Rhode Island Prekindergarten Education Act" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     16-87-2. Findings.

     (a) The general assembly hereby finds that attending high quality early childhood education

programs help children develop important social and cognitive skills and knowledge that prepares

children to succeed in school. Research has shown long-lasting benefits for children who participate

in very high quality, educationally focused early childhood programs. The benefits to children can

also generate substantial government cost savings, including reduced need for special education

services, reduced need for cash assistance and other public benefits, and reduced rates of

incarceration.

     (b) The general assembly finds that there are substantial numbers of children in Rhode

Island entering kindergarten who are not adequately prepared to succeed in school. Early school

failure may ultimately contribute to such children dropping out of school at an early age, failing to

achieve their full potential, becoming dependent upon public assistance, or becoming involved in

criminal activities.

     (c) Furthermore, the general assembly finds that there is an existing infrastructure of early

childhood programs in Rhode Island serving preschool age children in full-day and half-day

programs that is supported through state and federal investments in child care, Head Start and

special education. It is the goal of the general assembly to support a system of publicly-funded,

high quality prekindergarten education programs that are operated through a diverse delivery

network, including child care, Head Start and public school districts.

     (d) The general assembly also finds that Head Start programs have provided

comprehensive services and high-quality early childhood education to children and families for

decades, improving children’s cognitive, language, and social-emotional skills as well as reducing

family conflict and improving family educational attainment and self-sufficiency. Rhode Island

invests state funds to sustain and expand access to Head Start, support more competitive teacher

salaries, and help programs meet their federally-required twenty percent (20%) state or local

funding match.

     (d)(e) By enacting this law, the general assembly acknowledges the need to adequately

prepare all children to succeed in school by providing access to publicly-funded high quality

prekindergarten education programs for all children ages three (3) and four (4) through both the

state managed prekindergarten program and the federally-managed Head Start program.

     16-87-4. Early childhood workforce development.

     (a) The Rhode Island department of elementary and secondary education shall work with

other state departments and private philanthropy to establish the department of human services to

sustain and expand the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood program, a statewide, comprehensive,

research-based early childhood workforce development scholarship program to expand the number

of early childhood educators who have an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in early childhood

education and who work with children from birth to age five (5).

     (b)(1) In furtherance of the goals set forth in this chapter, no later than January 1, 2023, the

governor’s workforce board shall convene a working group comprised of representatives from the

department of elementary and secondary education, department of human services, office of the

postsecondary commissioner, the RI early learning council, organized labor, and early childhood

education industry employers, whose purpose shall be to identify barriers to entry into the early

childhood education workforce, and to design accessible and accelerated pathways into the

workforce, including, but not limited to, registered apprenticeships and postsecondary credit for

prior work experience.

     (2) No later than April 1, 2023, the working group shall provide the general assembly with

recommendations for addressing the barriers to workforce entry and implementing the solutions

identified by the working group; the recommendations shall outline any administrative and

legislative action that would be required by participating agencies to implement the

recommendations.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 16-87 of the General Laws entitled "Rhode Island Prekindergarten

Education Act" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

     16-87-8. Prekindergarten implementation and expansion.

     (a) The state prekindergarten program model, managed by the department of elementary

and secondary education, shall be sustained and, as funds are available, expanded in a mixed-

delivery system that includes Head Start programs, local education agencies, licensed center-based

childcare providers, and licensed family childcare providers or family childcare networks in order

that no less than seventy percent (70%) of all children ages three (3) and four (4) are enrolled in

high-quality prekindergarten options.

     (b) The department of elementary and secondary education is hereby authorized to

promulgate and adopt rules and regulations for the implementation of the state-managed high-

quality prekindergarten options.

     (c) Research-based quality standards for the state-managed prekindergarten program shall

be defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the department and shall meet or exceed the

recommended quality standards for state preschool programs outlined by the National Institute for

Early Education Research or the federal Head Start Performance Standards. Quality standards shall

include, but not be limited to:

     (1) Teacher education and certification;

     (2) Class size and staff ratios;

     (3) Learning time;

     (4) Developmentally appropriate, evidence-based learning standards;

     (5) Curriculum prioritizing developmentally appropriate, play-based learning;

     (6) Access, inclusion and support for students with special needs, including a system to

ensure delivery of high-quality, inclusive early education services required by the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act to children with developmental delays and disabilities who are enrolled

in community-based programs which may or may not be located in the same municipality where

the child lives;

     (7) Support for English language learners;

     (8) Professional development;

     (9) Child assessments; and

     (10) Observations and coaching to improve practice.

     (d) To whatever extent deemed appropriate and efficient by the department, quality

standards may be differentiated by prekindergarten education setting and include federal support

and oversight for the Head Start Performance Standards, such that every provider in a mixed

LC005823 - Page 3 of 5

delivery model is able and expected to meet research-based quality standards.

     (e) Funds to sustain and expand the state prekindergarten program managed by the

department of elementary and secondary education and funds to sustain and expand access to Head

Start programs in Rhode Island, managed by the department of human services, shall be allocated

and regularly adjusted to ensure teacher wages and benefits are competitive with similarly qualified

kindergarten teacher wages and benefits.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO EDUCATION -- RHODE ISLAND PREKINDERGARTEN EDUCATION

ACT

***

     This act would establish guidelines, rules and regulations for the implementation and

expansion of high-quality public prekindergarten education programs for children ages three (3)

and four (4) to increase children’s school readiness and to ensure high quality prekindergarten

services are available statewide and coordinated together by the department of elementary and

secondary education and the department of human services.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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